Motown Junk

Manic Street Preachers

Never ever wanted to be with you,
The only thing you gave me was the boredom I suffocated in,
Adrift in cheap towns don't stop the rain,
Numbed out in piss towns,
Just want to dig their graves

Motown, Motown junk
I laughed when Lennon got shot,
Twenty one years of living and nothing means anything to me.

Motown junk a lifetime of slavery,
Songs of love echo underclass betrayal,
Stops your heart beating for one to ten seconds,
Stops your brain thinking for one to ten seconds,

Motown junk, Motown junk
Motown junk, Motown junk

I don't want cause I just get,
All your slut heroes offer is a fear of the future,
Past made useless cause I'm dying now,
Communal tyranny, a jail that bleeds our wrists.

Motown, Motown junk
I laughed when Lennon got shot,
Twenty one years of living and nothing means anything to me.

Motown junk a lifetime of slavery,
Songs of love echo underclass betrayal,
Stops your heart beating for one to ten seconds,
Stops your brain thinking for one to ten seconds,

Motown junk, Motown junk
Motown junk, Motown junk

Motown junk a lifetime of slavery,
Songs of love echo underclass betrayal,
Stops your heart beating for one to ten seconds,
Stops your brain thinking for one to ten seconds,

Motown junk, Motown junk
Motown junk, Motown junk

We live in urban hell,
We destroy rock and roll.


Lyrics submitted by ShiverForMe, edited by yossarian9, manic4manics

Motown Junk Lyrics as written by Nicholas Jones James Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Motown Junk song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • +2
    General CommentThe "I laughed when Lennon got shot" bit sort of a way of demonstrating that you can get away with saying anything in a pop song because people don't care about the words, and only listen to the overall sound. According to Nicky Wire, anyway.
    ShakerMaker1994on June 04, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI think I read this song is slagging off mindless music which is used simply used to make money and it sounds the same - hence "stop your brain thinking for 168 seconds" I didn't like this song at first but now I love it.
    StandFreeon April 29, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThe title, 'Motown Junk', doesn't really refer to the original Tamla Motown label, which, as stated above was a JDB favourite. It was the limp-wristed derivative of it that was always on the radio during the 80's, the George Michael shite that they were attacking. Nicky hated love songs, feeling that they were plain irrelevant and people should be singing about issues and politics. Richey additionally felt that by making everyone obsessed with falling in love they were being weakened.

    The first verse is simply describing their dejection in their hometown, Blackwood.

    I wish I could remember what the 168 seconds reference was to...is it to how long the blast of Hiroshima lasted?

    'I laughed when Lennon got shot', a line is for shock value but another expression of their contempt for originality and attempt to 'BOMB THE PAST' etc.

    The second verse is pretty impenetrable. It's pretty much nihilistic ranting, with that ultra 1977 punk first line, and that further attack on the misery of modern life as the final line.
    jeffjeffjeffon November 09, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI was killing a few minutes at work reading an interview with Simon Cowell yesterday. This colossal figurehead of the f*ckwits said, and I quote, "funnily enough it's only this year that I've started to even listen to lyrics for the first time. Swear to God. For me, they were like wallpaper. I never took any notice of them." What a moron. I immediately thought of the Manics' articulate attack on this modern culture of complete moronity in 'Motown Junk.' This song is more relevant now than it ever was - I reckon it should be used to trounce this year's Christmas song crap like we did with Rage's 'Killing in the name' a couple of years ago.
    Liminal2on March 24, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThe Manics do such great lyrics but in most of their earlier songs I can't even make them out without having the words in front of me.
    manic4manicson October 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI called "Patrick Bateman" a scorcher, but god, this one REALLY is. Listening to it today and just want to leap around the room to it.
    sugarbabydollon September 14, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General CommentRight. I've been a hardcore Manics fan for years, but there's seomthing i've been wanting tio know for ages.
    In the second chorus when he's repeating 'motown junk' he says something between the 2nd and 3rd time he says it. What is it? It sounds like '?something? baby'
    and by the way it 'revolution' exactly 32 times at the beginning.
    godsendconspiratoron March 25, 2003   Link
  • -1
    General Commentit says 'manics baby' as far as i can hear it
    CosmeticPolemicon April 28, 2003   Link
  • -1
    General CommentYeah, it's sort of putting down motown groups. Hence the title "Motown Junk". :)
    the kittenesson November 25, 2004   Link
  • -1
    General CommentWhich is odd because I always thought that actually liked a lot of Motown - particularly Bradfield. Though by the time the single came out Motown was hardly putting out stuff of the caliber of its golden age.
    daprincetrkon June 24, 2005   Link

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